Solar eclipse artworks through history

The recent August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse has now passed, leaving behind spectacular images of the Moon briefly covering the Sun. But long before modern photography, artists around the world were fascinated by the same celestial phenomenon. From religious manuscripts and Romantic landscapes to scientifically precise paintings, these artworks show how different cultures interpreted the mysterious disappearance of the Sun. (wikimedia commons)

Eclipse of the Sun in Venice by Ippolito Caffi: Italian artist Ippolito Caffi captured the 1842 solar eclipse in Venice, combining an extraordinary celestial event with the city's familiar architecture and waterways. Rather than treating the eclipse as an abstract astronomical phenomenon, Caffi placed it within a recognizable Venetian landscape, giving the scene a dreamlike atmosphere. (wikimedia commons)

Howard Russell Butler's Eclipse Paintings: American artist Howard Russell Butler approached eclipses almost like a scientist. After observing the 1918 total solar eclipse with a U.S. Naval Observatory expedition, he painted the fleeting event with remarkable accuracy. He went on to paint the eclipses of 1923, 1925, and 1932, creating works that were valued not only as art but also as records of the solar corona at a time when photography struggled to capture its subtle details. (wikimedia commons)

Krishna and His Family Admire a Solar Eclipse by Nainsukh Family: This beautiful Kangra-school painting from around 1775–1780 depicts Krishna and his family watching a solar eclipse at Kurukshetra. The work is attributed to the first generation after Nainsukh, rather than definitively to Nainsukh himself. Based on the Bhagavata Purana, the scene portrays an eclipse that was predicted to bring blessings to those who witnessed it. (national museum of south asian art)

Vision of Saint Benedict by Cosmas Damian Asam: German Baroque artist Cosmas Damian Asam incorporated an eclipse into The Vision of Saint Benedict. Here, the darkened Sun becomes part of a deeply religious scene, reflecting the way unusual celestial events were frequently interpreted through spiritual and supernatural imagery in earlier European art. (wiki art)

New Moon or Solar Eclipse above the Riesengebirge Mountains by Caspar David Friedrich: Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich brought the eclipse into a tranquil mountainous landscape. In this work, the partially obscured Sun hangs above the Riesengebirge Mountains, transforming an ordinary-looking landscape into something mysterious and contemplative. The National Gallery of Art dates the work to 1810 or 1828/1835. (national gallery of art)

Zhang Xian Shooting the Heavenly Dog by Qing Dynasty: In Chinese tradition, an eclipse was associated with Tiangou, the “Heavenly Dog,” a creature believed to devour the Sun or Moon. In artworks depicting Zhang Xian, the deity is shown drawing his bow to shoot the creature and restore the celestial order. The image turns an astronomical event into a dramatic mythological story. (wikimedia commons)